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Feast of the Seven Fishes: Christmas 2014When I was a kid living on the East coast my Mom always hosted Christmas Eve dinner for the family. My Grammy and Papa would come, along with those of my aunts still living at home. We all crowded around the dining room table and feasted on fish dishes. I especially remember the huge lobster my Mom would always cook in tomato sauce and serve with pasta. I always assumed that we had fish for Christmas Eve because we were Catholic. It wasn't until much later that I discovered the tradition of a Christmas Eve "Feast of the Seven Fishes". It is believed to have originated in Southern Italy and is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian American families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. The significance of the number is subject to several interpretations but all agree that the number must be odd. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest I have found the task of finding seven different varieties of fresh, local fish and shellfish to be a snap. So, the last few years I have made it my mission to serve seven fish dishes to my guests on Christmas Eve. To add to the challenge I insist on the fish being local. So, what fish are local to the Pacific Northwest? First let's look at the shellfish - clams, mussels, crab, shrimp, oysters and squid. That's six! So what else? Fin fish abound in these waters - salmon, halibut, rockfish of several varieties. So there is lots to chose from! The biggest problem is limiting myself to seven. By the time Christmas rolls around I already have a freezer filled with crab and clams that we caught over the summer. So they always appear on my Christmas Eve menu. Penn Cove on Whidby Island is just a stone's throw from here and farms some of the best mussels in the area. So, mussels are another perfect choice. A December 23rd trip up to Taylor Shellfish Farm on Chuckanut Drive is a favorite for us. They have several different varieties of oyster, all farmed in the waters that surround their retail store. Can't get more local than that! Much as I believe in eating and cooking local there is one dish that is so Italian I just cannot leave it off my Christmas Eve menu - baccalà or salted dried codfish. It’s beginnings in Italian cuisine go back to the adventures of a 15th century Venetian captain, Pietro Querini, whose famous shipwreck off the coast of the far-away Lofoten islands of Norway brought codfish to the Northern Italians. The Venetians created a dish with this new discovery and called it baccalà. There are a number of different grades of baccalà; today the best is made from fish caught off the Canadian Maritimes. Since it is salted, all baccalà requires soaking before it can be used. The flesh should be pliable, compact, and not feel woody; you should try to select a piece of uniform thickness so it will soak evenly. The longer the soaking, the less salty the fish. To prepare it, rinse the fish in cold water, then soak for 12 - 24 hours in 2 - 4 changes of cold water. Until it tastes just pleasantly salty. The salted fish will plump up after freshening. Once it has freshened skin it, pick out the bones, and it's ready for use. Please note: Freshened fish is still uncooked and, once re-hydrated, will spoil unless cooked promptly. My Christmas Eve MenuTaylor Shellfish Farm Oysters on the Half ShellSmoked Copper River Salmon on Bread Farm Tonasket Rye bread with Cream Cheese, Green Onion and Capers Pickled Herring on Bread Farm Tonasket Rye bread with Sour Cream Dressing Wild Shrimp Broth with Korean Rice Cake, Ginger, & Cilantro Stuffed Elger Bay Clams Baccalà Salad Linguine and Tomato Sauce with Penn Cove Mussels |
The RecipesBaccalà Salad
Fried Salt Cod - Baccalà Fritto
ArchivesMushrooms, Tomatoes and Corn Late Fall 2011Copper River Salmon Late Spring 2011 About Clams and Halibut Spring 2010 About Crab and Berries Summer 2009 Halibut, Fried Clams & Ricotta Spring 2009 A Clam Bake NW-style Early Spring 2009 A Shopping Trip to Seattle Winter 2009 |